Energy & Utilities Update

February 2026

Latest News

NEPA Procedures Are Changing: Federal environmental review requirements continue to shift after the removal of CEQ regulations, affecting agencies, permit applicants, infrastructure developers, and environmental professionals.

Nationwide Permits: The 2026 Nationwide Permits create important updates for projects involving waters of the United States, utility work, development, maintenance, and other regulated activities.

Pipeline Safety: Updated class location and integrity-management concepts are changing how pipeline operators think about safety, risk, and compliance.

Energy Project Delivery: Permitting, environmental documentation, and operational compliance remain central to moving energy and utility projects forward.

The Big Picture

Early 2026 was less about a single headline and more about the machinery behind energy development: permitting, environmental review, pipeline safety, and project delivery. These are the rules that determine how quickly infrastructure can move from planning to execution.

CourseAvenue’s NEPA compliance course helps organizations understand what changes after CEQ regulation removal and what agencies still need to consider when managing environmental review responsibilities.

Our 2026 Nationwide Permits course focuses on how permit requirements affect environmental and regulatory professionals working with infrastructure, utilities, development, and aquatic-resource impacts.

Pipeline safety adds another operational layer. As rules evolve, operators need to understand not only what the regulation requires, but how risk management, class location changes, integrity assessments, and documentation practices fit together in real-world utility operations.